


High Noon

by caliginousfay



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, M/M, Real World Setting, Slow Burn, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-05-31 00:47:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6448816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caliginousfay/pseuds/caliginousfay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A meeting long coming. A single moment that would change everything. An unwelcome discovery. </p><p>Bitter soulmates AU Promnis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sights Forgotten

**Author's Note:**

> as requested by a lovely anon. s/o to you, ignonnie.

_“I don’t think you’d like him much.”_

That was the first thing Noctis had said of Ignis when Prompto asked who he was. At the time, he’d looked to his roommate skeptically. What kind of person was he to make Noctis so sure before Prompto had even heard anything about him to make a judgment himself?

 _“What makes you say that?”_  

Prompto could still picture the almost mischievous smile Noctis wore in response to his question. Clearly, the other had been amused. Even then, he didn’t say anything more on the matter for the moment. They were running late that morning, like usual. Between Prompto’s head being in the clouds with thinking of more pranks that would surely get the two in trouble and Noctis’s penchant for sleep, they ended up running to classes with ties simply slung around their necks and shoes sloppily tied most mornings. It reached a point where their teachers would simply sigh and shake their heads when they came in at the last possible second. Always fashionably late but never quite tardy. Not once had they been in trouble for that. Other things, yes. But never being late. 

It wasn’t until lunch came around that Prompto tried to get information on Ignis again. After all he’d heard of Gladiolus, the other friend Noctis had back home that he spoke of, it was impossible to quell the curiosity about Ignis. He’d managed to become a figure of myth to Prompto, shrouded in mystery with only small mentions that gave him any insight into who he might be here and there. His frustration with not knowing was clear and Prompto was certain Noctis was enjoying it. 

Playing with a blade of grass, Prompto looked over to his roommate. When it wasn’t raining, the two went outside for lunch. Prompto liked to watch the clouds and Noctis always lied in the sun, looking like the embodiment of a house cat curled up in front of a window. In usual house cat fashion, Noctis usually caught a nap. Prompto had never seen anyone else sleep as much as Noctis did. Dragging the blade of grass along Noctis’s cheek, Prompto called out, “Noct, wake up.” 

A grumble was the reply he received as the other batted the grass and his hand away. Sighing, Prompto resorted to lying dramatically across him. “Noct,” he whined while patting his cheek. “I need to know.” The last word was dragged out, his tone fluctuating as it carried on. 

“Know what?” It was a mumble, Noctis still determined to not fully wake up. 

A smile spread across Prompto’s face as he stilled his hand on the other’s cheek. “Tell me about Ignis. I need to know what he’s like. You’re killing me with this man of mystery thing.” 

Noctis huffed a laugh at that and pushed Prompto’s hand off his face. “Maybe I should keep it up, then. If you die, you can’t annoy me anymore.” 

Prompto gasped loudly and sat up, hand clutched to his chest. “You wound me, Noct! I do nothing but bring you joy.” 

Pushing himself up, Noctis rolled his eyes at that. “Right, of course.” His hands set to brushing grass from his clothes as he spoke again, “Since I’m sure you won’t shut up about it until I do, I’ll tell you about Ignis.” The delight at his concession to Prompto’s insistence was clear on the blond’s face. Noctis could only shake his head at his best friend. “He’s pretty much the complete opposite of you: strict, by the book, disapproving look that he mastered by the time he was five. It’s like having a mom as a friend. Like I said, you wouldn’t like him.” 

Oh. Well that seemed rather anticlimactic. Prompto shrugged as he pushed himself off the ground, hand extended to help Noctis up. “Sounds more like he wouldn’t like me.” 

Noctis grabbed his hand and pulled himself up as he laughed softly at that. “You know, you’re probably right about that. You’re always getting us into trouble.” 

With a scoff and a dismissive wave of his hand, Prompto started walking back toward the building and called out over his shoulder, “I’m a fucking angel.” He was answered with a snort.

 

* * *

 

Noctis had told Prompto more about Ignis after that. There were times where he still had to poke and prod him for more information, but it came much sooner. Before long, the two of them were packing up their belongings, getting ready to leave their shared room for the last time. 

 _“You’re still going to be my best friend, got it?”_  

 _“Yeah. You too, Prom.”_  

Goodbyes were always bittersweet, even when plans and promises to see each other again had already been made. It was nearly a year after they graduated and Prompto was finally making the trip out to visit Noctis. The two had talked everyday and Noctis had gone to visit twice. It was high time Prompto saw his friend’s home.

Fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel as Prompto kept an ear out for the GPS’s instructions. The last thing he needed was to get lost. The hours of driving had blended together at that point. He was anxious to be there, anxious to check out everything Noctis called home. A small part of him reminded him of all the times he’d listened to stories about Gladiolus and Ignis. It reminded him of the fact that he’d finally be meeting them. He definitely still remembered thinking Ignis wouldn’t like him. In truth, he was nervous about coming face to face with him most of all. Prompto could only hope for the best in being able to handle it when the time came. 

Pulling into the lot filled with cars by the building, Prompto stepped out and took in the sight. The glass of the building gleamed in the sunlight, reflections of the cityscape around visible in the surface. He double checked his phone, making sure he was where he was supposed to be. Sure enough, this was the address Noctis had sent him. Walking to the entrance, Prompto sent a text to his friend to let him know he was there. Phone stuffed back into his back pocket, he pulled the door open and walked in. The tile floors were dark and immaculate. Everything he saw was sleek and modern looking. Prompto couldn’t help but feel immediately out of place. 

He patted his thighs and forced himself to stop looking around in awe before walking to the reception counter before him. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, an unfamiliar voice called out, “Prompto Argentum?” 

“That’s me,” he answered as he whirled around to face the source. The one who’d called his name out was a man who stood a good few inches taller than him, his brown hair perfectly in place, a perfectly tailored suit adorning his frame. He worked here, there was no doubt. Sharp green eyes examined him behind glasses and Prompto couldn’t help but feel naked under his gaze, vulnerable. 

“This way.” It was all the man said before turning and walking away, leaving Prompto to clamber after him to catch up. The blond followed along as he was led to an elevator. For once, he was quiet. This man had a presence about him that he couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by. He said nothing more and Prompto didn’t dare break the silence. Instead he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt as the elevator brought them up, stealing glances at this mystery man every few seconds. He had to admit, he was handsome and those eyes seemed to pierce right through him when they caught his. Goosebumps appeared on his skin after a particularly long moment of eye contact. If Prompto were to be asked about the experience, he’d say it was haunting and intense. Part of him felt silly for assigning such descriptors to a silent elevator ride. Yet, there were no other words he could find to describe it. 

Finally, a solitary noise sounded to announce their arrival on the proper floor. Once more, Prompto followed along after the stranger. This leg of the journey was much shorter, arriving at a large pair of doors minutes after leaving the elevator. He stood back as the man pulled one open and motioned for him to go in. Peeking into the room, Prompto walked in cautiously until someone spoke up. 

“There you are, Prompto.” A smile spread across his face as he noticed Noctis in the room. Breathing out his name, he rushed toward him and pulled him into a hug. It had only been a few weeks since he last saw him, but he always greeted him like it had been years. 

Pulling back, Prompto looked around the room. It was a lush office. Clearly someone important worked here. Brow raised, he looked back to his friend. “What are you doing here?” 

“Visiting my dad. We just finished having lunch.” Prompto nodded and continued looking around the place. It was impressive. “Thanks for bringing him here, Iggy.” 

Prompto froze at the name, immediately understanding who the man was now. Turning, he faced him again and saw him offer a small smile to Noctis. So that was Ignis. Prompto could see him fitting the description Noctis had given him so long ago perfectly. “Prom, come meet him properly.” Nodding, Prompto walked over to join Noctis before him. 

Ignis extended a hand toward him, a polite “Nice to meet you” accompanying the action. Prompto nodded, mouth opening to return the sentiment as he mirrored the gesture. However, the moment his hand touched the other’s, the words died in his throat. The office around him disappeared as flashes of moments he knew happened long ago played before his eyes. Early mornings, bright smiles, loving words, and intimate moments all swirled before him. Yanking his hand away, Prompto held it to his chest and took a step back, seeing the shock in Ignis’s eyes and knowing it had to mirror his own. 

Shaking his head, Prompto looked between his hand and Ignis’s eyes. Noctis’s confusion didn’t even register as the entire world shrank down to the two of them, the point of contact that had just transpired. He knew exactly what this meant. It was impossible to ignore after tales of moments exactly like this were heard all his life. He wasn’t prepared even then. Static filled his ears and made Noctis’s voice sound far off and quiet as he asked what was happening. Prompto breathed out, “No.” This couldn’t be what was happening here. Not with him, not with Prompto. “No, no, no — you really don’t want me as a soulmate.” 

In that moment, everything was silent as realization dawned on Noctis’s face, as Ignis’s brow furrowed in confusion. This couldn’t be happening. Yet, it was.


	2. Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bit of a shorter chapter as i get back to this story. sorry for the wait!

There was a long moment’s pause, a silence filled with tension fueled by the panic Prompto felt thrumming through him. Just as Ignis opened his mouth, a question clear on his face, Prompto was turning and leaving the room. His feet carried him quickly, at first a brisk walk until it turned into a near jog. He wanted to get as far away from the situation as possible. How desperately he wanted to turn back time, to erase what just transpired, to go on in ignorance. But it was too late. He couldn’t go back to the way it was before. He couldn’t forget what he had seen as soon as they had touched: all the lifetimes before and all the memories that pulled at his heart in ways he couldn’t describe or ignore.

Yet, even when he managed to get the images to fade, to be forced into the back of his mind where Prompto could only pray that they would stay, his heart was still hammering away as his chest only grew tighter and tighter. A shaky breath of a laugh left parted lips when he realized that this feeling was all too familiar. This wasn’t the memories or lifetimes past pulling at him. No, this was purely the feeling of anxiety, of panic, closing in around and crushing down on him.

Breathe. That was the most important thought he managed to grab hold of as even more panic flooded his system at the realization of its sudden stranglehold on him. He had to stop and breathe. Back against the wall, he slid down to the floor. Trembling hands moved to cover his eyes, to block out the world around him so Prompto could try to focus and breathe. It had been so long since he’d faced this. He thought he was doing better. Clearly, a surprise like this was all it took to toss that all away and have him crumbling under its weight again. As if his lungs seizing, heart pounding, and body shaking wasn’t enough, Prompto’s stomach twisted painfully. All he had eaten felt like it had turned sour in an instant and his body desperately wanted to be rid of it.

A hand found rested gently on his shoulder and caused him to nearly jump out of his skin, startled in his panicked state. Looking up, a sigh of relief left him as blue eyes met the familiar ones of Noctis, though he wasn’t sure he’d seen such concern in them in a long time. Without a word, Noctis simply sat down beside him, arm wrapping around Prompto’s shoulder to hold him, grip tight but not enough to add to the pressure already squeezing at Prompto’s chest and mind. “It’s okay,” came the soothing words that the other had managed to perfect. Prompto wasn’t sure how, but Noctis always seemed to have the perfect way to calm him from these attacks. Closing his eyes, he took in a shuddery deep breath and focused on the warmth of his best friend beside him. _Noct’s here. You’re fine._ He had to be.

Even if he ran as far and as fast as he possibly could, there was no outrunning what he’d seen, what he’d felt. The man he’d wondered about for years, had pulled every bit of information about he could without really knowing why he wanted to know, he was his soulmate. And Prompto couldn’t feel more inadequate. He didn’t even know him, but he was positive that Ignis deserved better. Everything about him felt so perfectly balanced and put together, and then there was Prompto: having an anxiety attack on the floor by a bathroom. What a perfect match.

He sighed and shook his head before letting it hang. Noctis’s hand moved from his shoulder to his back, rubbing it in small circles. “You wanna talk about what happened there?” _No_ , came the immediate answer in his mind. No, he didn’t want to talk about it. If he talked about it, it only became even more real. There was still that lingering, childish hope that if he ignored it it would just disappear. But he couldn’t erase this. He’d seen so much, felt so much in those few moments of contact that his eyes blurred with tears welling up before he could reign it in. Prompto brought a hand up to roughly drag the heel of his palm against his eyes, trying to scrub the tears away before they could fall.

“That really happened, huh?” was all he could manage at first. “Noct, I- I don’t know what to do. Two minutes into meeting my soulmate and I’m already fucking it up. No surprise.” A halfhearted chuckle left him at that. He always seemed to be screwing things up. Why would this be any different?

“You’re not fucking it up,” Noctis argued. “I probably would have done the same thing. You just… weren’t prepared.” But then again, was anyone ever? How many people told their soulmate they wouldn’t want them? How many bolted before the other could even utter a word? How many made their first meeting such a mess?

Prompto was torn from his thoughts by the sound of Noctis’s phone ringing. The other quickly pulled the device from his pocket and answered. “Yeah?” A pause as whoever was on the other end of the line spoke. “I found him.” _Me. Who’s asking about me?_ “No, it’s fine. Just… stay there for now. I’m gonna take him to my place and let him settle in. I’ll call you later.” With that, he hung up. Prompto’s eyes stayed on his best friend, brow furrowed in curiosity. “Ignis,” came his answer and explanation. He should have known. Even after the spectacular disaster of a meeting they had, he was already a better soulmate than Prompto could ever dream of being, already showing he deserved better.

“Come on,” Noctis said, standing and pulling Prompto to his feet. “Let’s get going so you can unpack some and relax. We’ll deal with this later.” _What about never?_ But that wasn’t an option. He couldn’t do that to Ignis. He was already stuck with Prompto, he wasn’t going to make it even worse if he could manage it. With Noctis’s hand on his back once more, he was led away and out of the building toward his car.

Already, it felt like a timer was set. Later was coming, and it would be much too soon. 


	3. Circles

"So, tell me again what happened."

"He ran. He shook my hand, saw it, and ran." 

"He just ran?" Gladio asked, trying to get it all straight in his head so he could puzzle out a possible reason for what had transpired. 

"Well, yes and no," came Ignis's slightly hesitant answer. "He said something about me not wanting him as a soulmate before he bolted." 

"Huh." That was it. That was the only answer Gladio could offer at the moment. It definitely wasn't anything he'd encountered before. Most people were surprised when the meeting happened. Some freaked out a little, but he'd never heard of anything so extreme happening. 

"Indeed," Ignis sighed, his hand busy pushing his glasses up for the fifth time in ten minutes as frustrated, confused energy flowed through him, causing his usual cool, collected composure to erode and leave him fidgety in its wake. He didn't even properly know this boy and he was already doing a number on him. Groaning, he tapped his pen against his chin once more, feet continuing to propel him in tracing over the small line that had been his set path for the better half of an hour at that point. With as little doubt as there was for the experience shaking Prompto up, it was affecting him just as deeply. The last thing he needed was to have memories of lives he had forgotten reappearing and leaving him trembling in their wake, his heart yearning for something and someone he didn't even know. 

"What are you going to do?" The voice on the other end of the line asked after Ignis had stayed silent for several minutes. 

What was he going to do? He clearly couldn't ignore this. Already, it was beginning to seep into his thoughts without his permission. Ignoring it would do no good. The only answer here was to figure this out, approach it like any other puzzle. The problem was that it wasn't his puzzle alone. On the other end of the puzzle was Prompto, and, if his reaction was any indication, it felt as if he would be there dismantling any solution before Ignis could even fully work it out. 

He was left without any definitive answer, no mapped course of action, no clear plan. The only thing he could say in reply was a determined "I'll figure it out." Because he had to. 

* * *

_”You ought to ask him on a proper date,”_ Gladio had suggested. The idea continued to echo through his mind even after the call had ended. Sighing, he placed his head in his hands, fingers gripping at his scalp. This was a headache. Since the incident, he hadn’t been able to focus. There was too much running through his mind much too quickly. The file he had left on his desk prior to going to escort Prompto to Regis’s office still sat there, open and untouched. There were very few things that could stop Ignis from working. He was the absolute definition of a workaholic. There were many times when he would go hours without taking a break to eat or stretch. Gladio usually fussed at him for it when he’d drop by with takeout for lunch. After all, if he didn’t show up to make him take a break, Gladio doubted a break would happen at all. It wasn’t like anyone else would think to check on him, besides Noctis. Even then, he doubted the heir would be successful in getting Ignis to stop. 

Yet, that apparently wasn’t a problem at the moment. It was frustrating. Nothing had ever shaken him up like this, left him so out of sorts that he was practically useless. Every time he picked up a pen or tried to read more than a line or two on the page, another image would flash in his mind, another moment from another life plaguing him as he tried his hardest to ignore the whole thing even if just for a few hours. Couldn’t he have some peace for just a bit? This was going to change his life around. Even he couldn’t deny that that was bound to happen. Couldn’t he just have a little longer with it being the way it was? Under control and according to plan? 

No, clearly that couldn’t be the case. All Ignis could do was surrender to this. Taking his glasses off, he closed his eyes and ran over the incident in his head for what had to be the twentieth time. It had happened so quickly. He’d barely had a moment to process what he saw, what was beginning to stir within him before Prompto had ran. He ran and left Ignis behind, dumbfounded as hurt he didn’t expect crept in on the edges of the shock overwhelming him. He was there. And then, he was gone. Some part of him told him he’d known this before, felt losing him in a way that was much more definitive. It gnawed at him as he was left standing frozen in place, Noctis only sparing him a small glance and apology before running after his friend. 

If he focused too long on it, Ignis could feel the sting starting to settle in on him again. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want someone he didn’t even know to have so much power over him, especially not when he didn’t want anything to do with Ignis. What he had said, maybe it was the other way around. The most backwards “It’s not you. It’s me.” Ignis could imagine. _”You don’t want me as your soulmate.”_ That’s what he had said. But he didn’t have a choice. No one did. 

Before he could dwell on it longer and sink deeper into his own thoughts, his phone lit up with Noctis’s name on the screen. There was only a moment’s hesitation in answering it. Prompto was there, a small voice in his head reminded him of that as he lifted the device to his ear. Attempting to ignore it, Ignis uttered his usual greeting for the heir: “Yes, Noctis?” 

"Hey, Specs," came through from the other end of the line, just as easy and casual as always. That had to be a good sign, right? At least it had to mean that nothing was direly wrong any longer. He had to hope for at least that much. "He's okay," Noctis said without needing to be prompted. It was almost as if he knew exactly what was running through Ignis's mind at the moment. Then again, the other had experienced his worrying and fretting for years. It'd be more odd for him not to know. 

"That's good," Ignis finds himself saying because he's not sure what else to say just yet. Is it too much to mention that Prompto was the only thing on his mind since they met? Would it be too much to tell Noctis about his conversation with Gladio and the advice he had given? Perhaps it would be best to get his opinion on it. Prompto was the heir's best friend, after all. He would be know what best to do, right? Upon realizing that Ignis was truly thinking of looking to Noctis for advice on this, Ignis had to pause and reflect once more on just how incredibly shaken he was by the blond boy he had only just met. He was at a loss for what to do, a rare occurrence in his daily life. 

Sighing, he shook his head. "He says he's sorry, by the way," Noctis picked up again, no doubt hearing the sigh. "I told him he didn't have to apologize. It's normal to freak out at first, you know. But he made me promise to tell you." 

Ignis didn't even know him yet, not really, and already he was pulling smiles from him. It was somehow incredibly easy to imagine the scene the heir had described. Noctis's usual flippant and cool demeanor melted away by his friend until he acquiesced. Part of him, the small voice that had appeared in the corner of his mind that with an apparent direct connection to his heartstrings, told him he knew what that was like, that he had fallen prey to the same before, that he would again. _Not now,_ he pleaded with it, hoping it would give him at least a moment to keep his head on straight while talking to Noctis. 

"Please tell him that it's okay," Ignis requested, voice softer than usual, as if he could imbue the sentiment with the tone enough for it to come through even once it was passed on by Noctis. 

There was a pause where all that sounded was a grunt of compliance on Noctis's part before Ignis found his word once more. "Have you two gotten settled in?" It wasn't quite what he wanted to ask, but it would do for the moment. He wasn't sure he would be able to talk to Prompto directly just yet, no matter how he found himself yearning to do so. Did Prompto feel that same inexplicable calling to him? Before he could let the possibility of the answer being in the negative fully process, Noctis pulled him from his head once more. He was spending much too much time there today. 

"Yeah, we're just chilling out here. Showin' Prom some games he hasn't had the chance to play yet." 

Noctis spoke of his companion with such casual familiarity. Ignis wanted that, wanted to earn the right to do the same. 

"Have you had dinner yet?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even, despite how he hoped the answer would be no. 

"Nah, we've been busy unpacking his stuff. We were probably just going to order some pizza." 

_Perfect._ "Perhaps I could go over and prepare something for you two. A proper welcome dinner." He hated how it almost sounded like a question, rather than the easy suggestion it was meant to be. 

"Oh, sure, Specs. I'm sure Prompto would love to have your cooking. Just as good as any five-star restaurant," the other added in a tone that made it clear he had said it for the blond to hear and take note. "He likes anything spicy." A question answered before it could even be asked. "See you in an hour," the heir added with a near urgency that Ignis had to come to recognize to mean something in whatever game he was playing was needing his full attention. 

The call ended before he could get another word in edgewise. _See you in an hour._ It hardly felt like enough time to figure out a proper menu for dinner. There were so many spicy dishes out there and that didn't even begin to address the question of potential allergies or what he preferred for dessert. Did Prompto like tarts? Did he prefer cake? Sighing, Ignis grabbed a pen and paper and began to write down ingredients he would need. An hour. His second meeting with fate was in an hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's to me getting chapter 4 done faster than this took


	4. Meeting: Take Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter took a lot of sittings to finish cause i had to force myself to write it. a bit of a transitional chapter in terms of action. but next one should come sooner!

"You invited him over?" his voice squeaked out, immediately ruining any chance at seeming calm over this matter.

"Yeah, I invited him over. He's gonna cook. You'll love it," Noctis answered as if it was the same as saying the sky was blue, as if it was just that simple and easy. 

"Why did you do that?" 

"You know, for someone who was so obsessed with finding out about him forever, you'd think you wouldn't pass up the chance to now. It won't kill you to get to know your soulmate, Prom." 

There it was. There was that term staring him in the face again, taunting him in the situation. His eyes narrowed as a huff sounded, shoulders bunching up to his ears as he decided that this was definitely not happening and he could just ignore it by never putting the game controller down. That would totally work. It had never worked before but this time would be the one that changed that streak. 

Yet, while he mostly wanted to ignore it and pretend there was nothing happening here, that damned optimistic voice he'd worked so hard to teach himself to have had other plans. _It’ll be fine_ , it cooed. All he had to do was breathe and focus on the now, not the future that spiraled out into something so large it left him feeling like a speck of dust drifting in the light without so much as a will of his own for where everything took him. _Breathe, don't even go near there._

A hand on his shoulder made him jump, his own hands gripping even tighter onto the controller in them. Looking up, there was Noctis, the look on his face nothing short of concerned. Guilt settled heavy in the pit of his stomach. Hadn't he made Noctis worry enough today? Why couldn't he just get it together? 

"I'm sorry," his friend started, words soft in a way that made Prompto's stomach drop even further. "I know you're freaking out about this and---" 

"What? No, I'm not freaking out," Prompto hastily argued, voice too tight and pitched to believe for even a second. 

"Prom, the game's been paused for ten minutes with you just sitting here looking like you're gonna hurl. You're freaking out." Had it really been that long? Gods, he was a full blown mess. 

Groaning, Prompto set the controller down and placed his head in his hands. This wasn't the end of the world. It was just dinner --- dinner with someone he'd just met and ran from because it turned out they were meant to be, but that's beside the point. He was freaking out over nothing, right? Just another case of Prompto making a mountain out of a molehill. What a drama queen. Clearly, this wasn't anything to freak out about, he tried to convince himself. It was hard to tell if it was working when all he felt like doing was breaking out into self-deprecating laughter. 

"Noct, are you sure you can't just, I don't know, kill me before he gets here?" he whined into his palms. 

"Nah, can't do that for you, buddy. I like you being alive too much." A shuffling sound reached Prompto's ears before a weight settled next to him on the couch and a familiar warmth was placed around his shoulders. "What I can do is tell you that you're giving Iggy _way_ too much credit for how perfect you think he is. Like, that man makes the worst puns, even worse than yours. He always looks so pleased with himself for them." 

Prompto lifted his head slightly, peeking up at Noctis between his fingers. "Yeah?" 

"Oh yeah," Noctis affirmed with a smile. "I once found him surrounded by papers and empty cans of that gross coffee he loves. Pretty sure he was studying some dumb accounting thing. Practically looked like a deer in headlights when I walked in." A soft chuckle fell easily from his lips at the memory of his friend looking like a wild animal caught in the act, hair a mess along with everything else. 

"He used to take me for midnight ice cream runs. 'Noct,'" the other started with a ridiculous imitation of the man's voice, "'you're going to rot your teeth out with all the sweets you eat. Eat this disgusting green thing instead.' For someone so set on making me eat veggies, he always made anything I asked for. Don't believe that strict disciplinarian look he sports. He spoiled me rotten." 

By the end of it, Prompto was listening on in what was nearing awe. Where were all of these little details that added up to so much before? Why weren't _they_ the few things Noctis had shared about the man when Prompto had begged to know? Just like that, the image he had formed of Ignis, impeccably perfect and put together in every way all the time, melted away. What was left behind might not have been a clean slate, but it was something he could actually approach, something that didn't feel like an unreachable height. 

"A lot less scary now, right?" Noctis asked softly. Prompto could only nod. It felt like a massive weight had been lifted from his chest in that moment. It was a lot less scary. He could do this. 

The series of knocks on the door sounding through the apartment immediately had him changing his tune. His heart started to thump faster against his ribs like a caged bird trying to get free. He couldn't do this. Standing from the couch, Prompto was ready to run and hide only to be met with Noctis ushering Ignis in right before him. Frozen in place, wide blue eyes met with green, a look that felt like it stretched on for ages as Prompto fought with his unresponsive body to move. 

But it didn't matter that he was stuck staring like an idiot because Noctis --- the best friend anyone could ask for --- was leading Ignis away into the kitchen. Sighing, he sank down onto the couch again and just focused on breathing. As long as he did that, it would be okay. 

* * *

Those eyes were quickly worming their way into his head. Ignis was certain he could picture them perfectly if he tried. And here they were, boring into his own in a way that made him want nothing more than to stare into them till his last breath. It wasn't fair. Thankfully, Noctis broke the spell and pulled him along to the kitchen before he could stare any longer. 

Setting the bags of groceries on the counter, Ignis took a moment to lean against it and sigh. Noctis simply stood silently beside him for a moment before oh-so-helpfully offering up, "At least he didn't run this time." That was true, but only because he seemed too stunned to do so. 

Straightening back up, Ignis set to busying himself unpacking everything with a simple, "No, he didn't." That was at least a step in the right direction. "Maybe in a few months' time he'll even find it fit to actually speak to me." It was too soon to be frustrated. He knew it wasn't fair to think that, let alone say it. All his life he'd heard the stories of what it was like to meet your soulmate. Despite not ever putting too much stock into the idea of it all, it was impossible to keep it from embedding itself in the back of his mind. It was supposed to be so much better than this, so different. And yet, here Ignis stood wondering how he would ever manage to get a proper conversation with his apparently fated other half. 

A hand rested on his shoulder and stopped him from cutting the greens into mush, mind thoroughly occupied. Noctis took a deep breath before quietly pleading, "Just give him some more time, Iggy. He's got his own problems and hangups. A lot of it is... it's with himself. I also think he has this built up idea of you that might be my fault, just a little bit." Ignis's head whipped up then to stare down one of his dearest friends. At least Noctis had the decency to look guilty. "Yeah, I know, but it's not like I _knew_ you two were..." he trailed off as he gestured vaguely. 

"Anyway, just be patient." With that, Noctis bowed out from the brief kitchen meeting, though not before grimacing at the vegetables laid out on the chopping board. While the conversation left Ignis with plenty of new questions, it cleared up a few things. At the very least, it gave him a new direction for how to handle this. Patience was key. He could do this. 

* * *

Prompto looked up from his fidgeting hands in time to see a bowl lowered before him onto the coffee table. "Here we go: green curry. Noctis said you liked spicy food so I made it a bit more on the warm side." A small, yet undeniably warm smile met his gaze as he let it drift further up. That alone was enough to send his blood rushing to his cheeks as he muttered a soft, stilted thanks before looking firmly away and focusing on his bowl. 

Noctis thankfully took the open spot beside him. He doubted Ignis would have taken it himself, though. There was no ignoring the tension that laid in the air between. Granted, Prompto was fairly sure he was the sole cause of most of it. He just couldn't get out of his own head, filled with fear and apprehension still. Despite the fact that it was less of a presence at the forefront of his mind, there was no forgetting that it was there. It gripped his veins with like icy steel at any opening it had, with every passing breath and each glance he found angled his way. 

That was probably the most unsettling part of it all. He could feel Ignis's eyes on him, no matter how much he pointedly looked elsewhere. Why couldn't he just ignore it? 

An elbow nudged his side and all hope of staying a quiet outlier in this gathering was ruined with Noctis forcing his attention back to the present. Both Ignis and Noctis were looking at him expectantly. _Shit,_ what had he missed? 

Ignis seemed to take his furrowed brow as a sign to pose the question again. "How long will you be visiting, Prompto?" Just the sound of his name on the other's tongue was enough to send a shiver down his spine. It wasn't fair that his body reacted this way on its own. 

Looking down to his bowl, Prompto shrugged before he answered. "I guess till Noct gets sick of me," he joked half-heartedly and glanced over to his friend. "I was thinking a few weeks since I've got the time. Wanna spend as much time with my buddy before I have to go back home," he added, bumping shoulders with Noctis, a small smile on his face. 

He didn't see the way Ignis's expression twisted into one with the slightest twinge of envy, didn't see the way his fingers twitched with a longing all their own to reach out. The one thing he didn't miss was the way the other's gaze faltered. After all that time of being hyper aware of it on him, there was no way Prompto didn't notice when it left. 

His own eyes flitted away from the familiar face of his best friend to look at the man he was destined to know. Prompto didn't dare look on for long, afraid he'd be caught in the act. And, while he didn't look long, he could have sworn that he saw uncertainty on the other's face. That one thing was so against the image Prompto had built up of the man in his head that he found himself hesitating. Maybe Noctis was right. Maybe this wasn't hopeless. 

So why did that prospect still scare him? 

* * *

The rest of dinner went by better than Prompto originally anticipated. Though, that was probably due to the fact it was mostly just him and Noctis talking like they always did. It was surprising that he was actually able to relax and enjoy himself. At least until Noctis stood and took the dishes to the kitchen to clean up. Considering Noctis was -- well, Noctis, Prompto doubted that was the real reason behind him leaving them alone. 

Prompto's hands immediately set to fidgeting in his lap, all that nervousness from before beginning to bubble back up. Ignis seemed to have fallen to nervousness of his own. Silence stretched between them. 

"Prompto." His name broke the quiet and made his head snap up. Their eyes met and, once again, Prompto felt that rush from before. He couldn't help but wonder if Ignis did too. Maybe that was why he paused and simply stared for a moment. It almost felt like a spell had settled over them. Everything seemed to fall away, time ticking by slower and slower until it outright stopped. 

The sound of something clattering to the floor in the kitchen broke the trance. "Everything's okay!" they heard Noctis call out from the other room. With a nervous laugh, Prompto shook his head, his attention gradually sliding back to the man sitting opposite to him. 

Prompto watched as Ignis opened his mouth only to close it again a second later. After another moment trapped in silence, he finally spoke up, "I know all of this is sudden. It's a little scary, truthfully." They could definitely agree on that. "Prompto, I want the chance to get to know you, if you'd grant me that honor." 

He couldn't help but tense up at the statement. Ignis was quick to add more, as if he could sense the rising need to run again. "Please, just forget what you think is supposed to be happening with us. No pretenses, no expectations, just a fresh start to know each other as friends." A silent, secondary "please" hung in the air. 

His heart was pounding in his ears as he took it all in. _A fresh chance,_ he could do that, right? Didn't he owe him that much? Didn't he owe _them_ that much? If Ignis really wanted to know him, who was he to say no? 

"I..." _Come on, just do it._ "Okay," Prompto managed to squeak out. "Okay," he said again, sounding much more sure of it this time. "We can do that." There it was, the first and hardest step as far as he was concerned. No more running. 

Green eyes widened in unmasked surprise. Had he expected Prompto to turn him down? Then again, he had run away from him the first time they met. So maybe that hadn't been the best first impression. The shock melted away into a smile so warm Prompto could feel it resonating throughout his whole body, cheeks heating slightly right along with it. _Not fair._ "Thank you, Prompto. You won't regret this." Did he really think that he ever would? _You ran, Prompto,_ he reminded himself. 

"I'm sorry for before," Prompto offered. He couldn't have Ignis thinking this was his fault. "I just kinda freaked out. Promise I won't run from you next time. No promises on any others, though," he joked at his own expense. 

Quiet settled around them again, but this time it was almost comfortable instead of tense. That same smile stayed on Ignis's face, and Prompto found himself mirroring it. "There's an art exhibit open at the museum downtown. We could go, if that would be something you're interested in," Ignis suggested. "I'm frankly not sure. If it's not to your liking, we could find something else, or just grab dinner---" 

"The art exhibit sounds like fun," Prompto assured, stopping the rambling before it could start. It was plain to see the relief as it washed over the other's face. "Hey, um, let me see your phone real quick." 

"My phone?" he asked, even as he dug into his pocket to hand it over to Prompto. With a small thanks, Prompto set to work sending a text to himself. 

Handing it back, he smiled and explained, "Now you've got my number, and I've got yours. So we can figure out plans for the exhibit, y'know." Warmth flooded his cheeks, blushing despite himself. _Get a grip._

As if he had been waiting for the perfect moment to come back, Noctis strolled back into the room and clapped his hands. "Alright, I think the dishes survived my cleaning. I'm ready to pass out. Housework is hard," he groaned. 

It couldn't be more obvious what Noctis was doing. He was far from subtle, but it certainly did the job. Ignis stood from his place on the couch and began his walk toward the door. "Thank you for having me over. It was a pleasure. I can see my way out. Goodnight, Noctis. Goodnight, Prompto." With one last wave, he stepped out. 

Prompto turned to see Noctis smiling smugly at how it had turned out. No disastrous meltdown to be seen. Shaking his head, Prompto headed toward the guest bedroom, only stopping to turn back and say, "Good luck with actually washing those dishes on your own, Noct. You know, you should probably at least turn the sink on next time you wanna pretend." That wiped the smile away immediately. 

Stepping into the room, he leaned back against the door and smiled. He could do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls feel free to talk to me about how slow i am with this fic at my [tumblr](http://promptoargentcum.tumblr.com) or twitter @caliginousfay. [other places you can find me.](https://about.me/caliginousfay)


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